February/March 2015
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Tactical Obedience Training for Police K-9 Deployments: Introduction
bitework Improving Your Bitework Related Control
tracking/trailing Debunking Tracking Myths: #1 Rain and Water Destroys the Track Fe b r u a r y / M a r c h 2 01 5 • 5 5
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Largo Communications, Inc. To submit an article: articles@k9copmagazine.com To subscribe or renew your subscription: PHONE 270-534-0500 ONLINE k9copmagazine.com EMAIL info@k9copmagazine.com To order a back issue: k9copmagazine.com info@k9copmagazine.com Want to advertise with us? Direct all advertising inquiries to: jason@k9copmagazine.com K-9 Cop Magazine (ISSN 2327-6177) is published six times per year by Largo Communications, Inc., 7660 Old U.S. Highway 45, Boaz, KY 42027. Subscription rates for 6 issues are $34.95 U.S. and $44.95 Canada (print and digital); all other countries $99.95 (print and digital). Digital issues only: $19.95 all countries.
February/March 2015 - Volume 7, Issue 1
All contents copyright 2017 by Largo Commmunications, Inc. Reproduction or use of the contents without permission is prohibited. Comments written in this magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the ownership and management of K-9 Cop Magazine. This magazine accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, photography, or artwork. All submissions may be edited for length, clarity, and style. K-9 Cop Magazine does not endorse any training or protocols presented in editorial submissions and cannot be held liable for actions resulting from the employment of any information or guidelines presented within printed articles. Fe b r u a r y / M a r c h 2 01 5 • 57
Authored by Battelle staff members: K. Good, N. Knebel, S. Lawhon, L. Siers, D. Winkel
These authors, who have degrees ranging from HAZMAT to chemistry to chemical engineering, have contributed to numerous canine R&D programs at Battelle Memorial Institute in Columbus, OH, providing scientifically defensible study design and procedures, unbiased evaluations, and rigorously tested products for our nation’s working dogs.
VAPOR PLUME DYNAMICS Readers of this magazine are well aware that a canine’s keen sense of smell enables it to detect targeted contraband that would otherwise go undetected. However, to fully capitalize on a canine’s innate abilities, it is imperative that handlers understand the behavior and nature of odor plumes so that they can direct the animal in performing a complete and proper search. One well-understood (but sometimes ignored) handling concept is starting/working downwind of suspected items. While molecular diffusion alone will yield odor dispersion in all directions, studies have convincingly shown that even the smallest of air currents will dictate odor plume movement. Thus, getting the canine downwind significantly improves the likelihood of encountering any emitted odors. Another handling concept that warrants more emphasis in day to day training and operational searches is the identification of odor escape points; all things being equal, odor molecules/particles will travel 5 8 • K- 9 C O P M A G A Z I N E
Photo by Pierre Courtejoie wearethemighty.com
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almost exclusively via the path of least resistance. Thus, luggage zippers, box seams, door gaps, window sills, etc. all represent likely productive areas for detection canines. One common, but unsubstantiated, belief in the detection canine community is that ‘odor falls’. In reality, the buoyancy of a vapor plume (i.e., heavier than air, neutral, or lighter than air) is characterized by the Richardson number, a dimensionless quantity based on the density and concentration of the gas making up the plume. Richardson calculations for several common explosive formulations reveal that their odor plumes are actually neutrally buoyant. In other words, these odor plumes have no natural
preference to sink or rise – instead, their height will be determined by the location of the target material, paths of least resistance, air flows, and air temperature gradients, among other parameters. Because fully knowing and accounting for the many influencing factors is impossible, canine teams must consistently employ a range of search heights. Relying on odor to be found low or on the ground can have potentially devastating effects on team performance. Understanding these concepts allows canine handlers to appropriately structure their search tactics and techniques, improving their contribution to the team, and thus, the overall quality of the search. n Fe b r u a r y / M a r c h 2 01 5 • 5 9
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